Protective sole for athletic shoes

ABSTRACT

A device is provided for attachment to the sole of athletic shoes to protect the sole of athletic shoes from damage caused by walking on off-court or street surfaces. The device comprises a base member and securement members for securing the base member to the sole of an athletic shoe and allows the user to avoid having to change from street shoes to athletic shoes before stepping on a court surface and then having to remove his athletic shoes and don street shoes before leaving the playing venue.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority to provisional applicationSerial No. 60/302,924 which was filed Jul. 2, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention relates to devices for the protection of the solesof athletic shoes and specifically relates to protective devices whichare structured to be easily secured about and removed from athleticshoes to protect the soles thereof.

[0004] 2. Description of Related Art

[0005] Athletic shoes have become very popular in the past few decadesas footwear not only for sports participation, but for general everydaywear. With their increased popularity has come a corresponding increasein the cost of athletic shoes such that a single pair of athletic shoesmay cost over two hundred dollars. Therefore, there is a great incentiveto maintain the condition of one's shoes to maximize the wear andserviceable life of the shoes.

[0006] For people who play sports, there is a particular concern formaintaining the condition of the shoes since athletic shoes that aredesigned for a certain sport may be very expensive. For example,athletic shoes that are designed for playing indoor basketball areconstructed to provide maximum traction and foot protection on woodenfloors. If a basketball player then wears those athletic shoes off thebasketball court, the soles of the shoes become worn and degraded by thecement or gravel of conventional walking surfaces. In no time at all,the sole of the shoes become unsuitable for use on an indoor basketballcourt.

[0007] Owners of wooden-floor basketball courts are particularlyconcerned about the wearing of athletic shoes on the court when thoseshoes have been worn outside because the soles of the shoes pick up, orare embedded with, gravel and other fine abrasives that scratch thefloor of the court. The damage that can occur to wooden-floorbasketballs courts is significant and costly to repair. Therefore, courtowners now routinely prohibit players, or anyone else stepping on thecourt, from wearing street shoes on the court. To accommodate thatprohibition, players must change their shoes before playing on thecourt. Players arrive at the court venue, remove their street shoes andput on their athletic shoes, then remove their athletic shoes after thegame and put their street shoes back on.

[0008] Indoor basketball players typically take their athletic shoes offin a locker room or other dressing area before leaving the building topreserve their shoes. However, stopping to remove one's shoes can betime consuming and if players are in a hurry to leave the venue, theymay not have time to stop and change their shoes. This is particularlytrue in the case of young boys or girls of middle school or high schoolage who play successive games of basketball at different schools. Ifthey are being transported by bus, for example, to a nearby school foranother game and they must quickly board the bus, they may not have timeto change their athletic shoes to street shoes and then back to athleticshoes when they arrive at their next game destination.

[0009] Therefore, for both professional and non-professional playersalike, it would be advantageous to provide a device to protect the solesof athletic shoes which is easily attached to and detached from theathletic shoes while the wearer has the shoes on so that the wearer mayavoid having to remove his athletic shoes before walking on a non-courtsurface, and which allows the wearer to walk in any area or on anysurface off the court without causing damage to the soles of theathletic shoes.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In accordance with the present invention, a device is providedfor protecting the soles of athletic shoes which is easily attached toand removed from the athletic shoes while the shoes are on the wearer'sfeet, thereby allowing the wearer to walk on any surface withoutdamaging the soles of the athletic shoes. While the sole-protectingdevice of the present invention is disclosed herein with respect to usewith athletic shoes, the device may be employed with any kind of shoethe sole of which the wearer wishes to protect from damage caused bywalking on street surfaces.

[0011] The sole-protecting device of the present invention comprises abase member and securement members attached to the base member to securethe base member to the sole of an athletic shoe. The base membergenerally comprises a substantially flattened structure which is sizedto approximate the size, shape and/or dimension of the sole of a shoe.The size of the base member may vary, but it is generally desirable forthe base member to be co-extensive in size with the sole of the athleticshoe, and to even be slightly larger in size so that the sole of theshoe resides entirely within the perimeter of the base member. The basemember may be made of any material suitable for use as the sole of ashoe, including natural and synthetic materials. Preferably, the basemember is made of a flexible material which allows the base member tobend with the athletic shoe sole when walking.

[0012] The securement members of the present invention may be anysuitable device, apparatus or system that secures the base member to thesole of an athletic shoe. It is preferred, however, that the securementmembers be a simplified system which allows the wearer to quickly attachthe device to an athletic shoe and quickly remove the device. Therefore,by way of example only, the securement members may comprise atoe-engaging member which secures the toe of the shoe to the base memberand a more rearwardly positioned engaging member which secures therearward portion of the shoe to the base member. For example, therearward engaging securement members may comprise a heel-engaging memberor an instep engaging member, or both.

[0013] The sole-protecting device of the present invention may beconfigured such that the securement members are arranged to provide easyslip-on and slip-off of the device relative to the athletic shoe.Moreover, the securement members may preferably be structured to provideselectively adjustability of the securement members over or about theathletic shoe to increase engagement of the device to the shoe and toaccommodate various sizes of shoes. The securement members may,therefore, be constructed with selective adjustment apparatus ormembers.

[0014] The foregoing elements and features of the present invention, andthe function of the invention, are described in further detailhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] In the drawings, which illustrate what is currently considered tobe the best mode of the invention:

[0016]FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of one embodiment of the presentinvention;

[0017]FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the embodiment of the inventionshown in FIG. 1, further illustrating the device engaging an athleticshoe;

[0018]FIG. 3 is a view in perspective of the rearward portion of theembodiment shown in FIG. 2;

[0019]FIG. 4 is a plan view of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 2 and 3;and

[0020]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] A first embodiment of the sole-protecting device of the presentinvention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-4. Referring to FIG. 1, thesole-protecting device 10 comprises a base member 12 which may generallybe flat to contact the sole of an athletic shoe, and is sized in shapeand dimension to receive the sole of an athletic shoe thereon, asfurther shown in FIGS. 2-4. The sole-protecting device 10 furthercomprises securement members 14 which are configured and located todetachably secure the base member 12 to an athletic shoe 16, as shown,for example, in FIG. 2.

[0022] The base member 12 may be made of any suitable material whichsupports the sole of the athletic shoe and does not damage the sole ofthe shoe. The material may, most suitably, have some degree offlexibility to facilitate flexure of the sole-protecting device 10 whilethe wearer is walking with the device 10 attached to his or her shoes.However, the material may, in certain applications, be more suitablyselected to be substantially inflexible. Exemplar materials that may beused in forming the base member 12 include, but are not limited to,rubber, flexible plastic, polymeric materials, leather and the like. Thematerial may be synthetic or natural. Moreover, the base member 12 maybe structured with a bottom surface 13 which is configured to provideparticular traction on walking surfaces, such as may be encountered inthe winter.

[0023] The securement members 14 may be any suitable device, apparatusor means for securing the base member 12 to the sole of the athleticshoe 16 (FIGS. 2-4) in a manner which allows the wearer to easily andquickly secure the base member 12 to the athletic shoe 16, and thenquickly remove the base member 12 from contact with the athletic shoe 16when desired. By way of example only, FIGS. 1-5 illustrate various typesof securement members 14 and arrangements that may be used in thepresent invention.

[0024] The securement members 14 comprise at least one toe-engagingmember 20 which is positioned to fit over and engage the athletic shoe16 in the region of the toe of the shoe 16. The securement members 14further comprise at least one rearwardly shoe-engaging member 22 whichis positioned to fit about a rearward portion of the athletic shoe 16 tosecure the rear of the shoe 16 to the base member 12. For example, asshown in FIGS. 1-4, the rearwardly shoe-engaging member 22 may comprisea heel-engaging member 23 positioned to fit about the heel 24 of theathletic shoe 16 to maintain the sole-protecting device 10 in secureengagement with the shoe 16. FIG. 5 further illustrates an alternativeembodiment of the invention in which the securement members 14 comprisea heel-engaging member 23.

[0025] In a particularly suitable embodiment, shown in FIGS. 1-4, thesecurement members 14 may further include an instep-engaging member 26which is positioned to span over and engage the instep portion 27 of theathletic shoe 16. In yet another alternative embodiment of the presentinvention, the sole-protecting device may comprise a toe-engaging member20 and an instep-engaging member 26 with no heel-engaging member,thereby providing a slip-on type configuration.

[0026] The securement members 14 may be attached to the base member 12in any suitable manner and may be structured in any suitable mannerwhich will provide easy attachment and detachment of the base member 12to the athletic shoe 16. As shown, for example, the securement members14 may be configured as straps that are secured to the base member 12and are sized to span about or across the shoe 16, the sole of which ispositioned on the base member 12. The securement members 14 or strapsmay be made of any suitable material that is either moderately elasticor inelastic.

[0027] It may be desirable to structure the securement members 14 toprovide selective adjustability thereof to assure a snug fit of thesole-protecting device 10 to the athletic shoe 16 and to accommodatevarying size or shapes of shoes. Thus, for example, the securementmembers 14 may be made of slightly elastic material which allows thesecurement members 14 or straps to engage the shoe. Further, thesecurement members 14 may be configured with a selectively adjustablemechanism. For example, toe-engaging member 20 may further comprise anadjustable first fastening element 28 connected to the base member 12along one edge thereof, and a second fastening element 30 connected tothe base member 12 along an opposing edge thereof.

[0028] The first fastening element 28 and second fastening element 30are preferably structured with interlocking means 32 which allow the twoelements to be quickly engaged and secured together, and then quicklydisengaged to remove the base member 12 from the shoe 16. By way ofexample only, the interlocking means 32 may be hook and loop tabs 34,one positioned on the free end of second fastening element 30, as shownin FIG. 1, and a corresponding hook and loop tab 36 positioned at thefree end of first fastening element 28.

[0029] Similarly, the instep-engaging member 26 may be comprised of afirst fastening element 38, which is illustrated in FIG. 1 as beingsecured to an anchoring tab 39 that is in turn connected to the basemember 12 along one edge thereof, and a second fastening element 40which is illustrated as being secured to an anchoring tab 41 that isconnected to the base member 12 at the opposing edge thereof. In analternative embodiment of the invention, the first fastening element 38and second fastening element 40 may each be connected directly to thebase member 12. The instep-engaging member 26 is also structured withinterlocking means 32 to secure the first fastening element 38 andsecond fastening element 40 together. The interlocking means 32 thereofmay also be structured with a hook and loop tab 42 positioned at thefree end of second fastening element 40 and a corresponding hook andloop tab 43 positioned at the free end of first fastening element 38.

[0030] The heel-engaging strap 23 may be configured as a single lengthof material having a first end 44 which is secured, such as bystitching, to the second fastening element 40 of instep-engaging strap26 and having a second, free end 46 which is structured to be secured tothe first fastening element 38 and anchoring tab 39 by some means, suchas stitching.

[0031] The sole-protecting device 10 may further include at least oneside member 48 which is secured at one end to the toe-engaging member 20and secured at the other end to a rearwardly-engaging member 22, eitherthe instep-engaging member 26 or the heel-engaging member 23. In analternative embodiment, as suggested in phantom in FIG. 3, thesole-protecting device 10 may further comprise a second side member 49which is likewise secured at one end to the toe-engaging member 20 andsecured at the other end to a rearwardly-engaging member 22.

[0032]FIG. 5 illustrates an alternative configuration of the presentinvention comprising a base member 12 having a toe-engaging member 20and a single rearwardly-engaging member 22 comprising a heel-engagingmember 23. The heel-engaging member 23 may also be comprised of a firstfastening element 54 and a second fastening element 56 which areselectively securable one to the other such as by use of interlockingmeans 58. As previously described, any interlocking means 58 may beused, but hook and loop tabs are shown by way of example only. Further,it is shown that a buckle 60, positioned on the toe-engaging member 20,may be employed as but one alternative type of interlocking means. Itshould also be noted that the toe-engaging member 20 does not need to bestructured as two elements for securing together, but may be a singlecontinuous length of material securely attached at both ends to the basemember 12, thereby allowing the wearer to slip the toe of the athleticshoe beneath the toe-engaging member 20.

[0033] The sole-protecting device of the present invention is designedto protect the soles of athletic or other types of shoes from wear ordegradation by contacting conventional street surfaces. Thesole-protecting device may be adapted to any number of different typesof shoes other than athletic shoes. Hence, reference herein to specificdetails of the structure and function of the present invention is byreference only and not by way of limitation.

What is claimed is:
 1. A protective device for protecting the sole of anathletic shoe from damage caused by walking on conventional streetsurfaces, comprising: a base member for contacting the sole of anathletic shoe, said base member being substantially coextensive with thesole of an athletic shoe; and securement members attached to said basemember and positioned to engage an athletic shoe positioned on said basemember to secure said base member to the sole of an athletic shoe incontact with said base member.
 2. The protective device of claim 1wherein said securement members comprise a toe-engaging securementmember and a heel-engaging securement member.
 3. The protective deviceof claim 2 wherein said securement members further comprise aninstep-engaging securement member.
 4. The protective device of claim 1wherein said securement members comprise a toe-engaging securementmember and an instep-securement member.
 5. The protective device ofclaim 1 wherein said securement members have selectively securablestructure for facilitating fastening attachment and detachment of saidbase member to an athletic shoe.
 6. The protective device of claim 5wherein said selectively securable structure of said securement memberscomprises a hook and loop system for adjustably positioning saidsecurable members about an athletic shoe in contact with said basemember.
 7. The protective device of claim 5 wherein said selectivelysecurable structure of said securement members comprises a bucklingsystem for adjustably positioning said securable members about anathletic shoe in contact with said base member.
 8. The protective deviceof claim 1 wherein said base member has a bottom surface structured toprovide traction with a walking surface.